1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for imparting enhanced directional flight to a projectile and the like and more particularly to such an apparatus which is operable slidably to be received and mounted on the distal end of a firearm barrel, and which further has a hand adjustable sight alignment frame which permits a marksman to judge and thereafter to adjust the firearm in an advantageous attitude with respect to a moving target such that a projectile can be propelled in a preselected path of travel to strike the moving target, the apparatus imparting improved performance characteristics to the firearm upon which it is mounted in a configuration which is compact, light weight and easy to use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The beneficial effects of employing variously designed auxiliary sighting and aiming assemblies for the purpose of improving the accuracy and shooting skills of hunting enthusiasts have long been known. More particularly marksmen have long recognized that auxiliary sighting and aiming devices were extremely helpful when they were utilized on moving targets such as various water fowl, birds, predators, and the like. As should be understood, the prior art is replete with numerous aiming and sighting devices which enable a marksman to "lead" a preselected moving target such that a projectile can be propelled in a preselected path of travel at the target to interact with it as it moves across the projectile's path of travel.
It is well known that the weapon or firearm of choice for marksmen who are shooting at a moving target is the shotgun. A shotgun utilizes a cartridge which commonly has a projectile composed of a multiplicity of small lead pellets or the like which, when propelled out of the weapon, form a shot pattern which has a distinctive shape and size. While the phenomena of forming a shot pattern is well known, few marksmen can rapidly estimate how large the shot pattern becomes as the shotgun pellets travel ever increasing distances away from the firearm. More particularly, marksmen have frequently missed moving targets that they have aimed and fired at because they "led" the moving target too much, or over estimated the size of the shot pattern, thus the target did not enter into the shot pattern.
While it is well recognized that the utilization of these various prior art aiming and sighting devices will improve somewhat the overall shooting accuracy and skills of some marksmen, the devices, however, suffer from a multiplicity of common drawbacks which have detracted from their usefulness. For example, nearly all of the prior art sighting and aiming assemblies employ, in one form or another, a rigid heavy gauge metal type clamp which is mounted to the distal end of the shotgun barrel. The clamp employed with these devices has traditionally been affixed to the barrel by a clamping screw which has been tightened, using a tool, to prevent the aiming assembly from becoming dismounted from its desired position on the barrel by the effect of the recoil generated by the firearm.
While these prior art aiming and sighting assemblies operate, as earlier mentioned, with a degree of success, they have a common shortcoming in that they frequently cause the shotgun to become unbalanced and thus difficult to use, or alternatively have obscured the fixed manufacturer's sights which have been mounted on the vent rib of the shotgun thus making it difficult or impossible to use these sights when shooting at targets which are moving in paths of travel substantially perpendicular to the marksman.
Still another significant problem with the prior art aiming and sighting assemblies results from characteristics inherent in their design inasmuch as the prior art devices have not been capable of indicating to a sportsman what the shape of the shot pattern generated by the shotgun is, and furthermore the prior art devices cannot be easily mounted or otherwise adjusted on the distal end of the barrel without the use of specialized tools.
Thus, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have an apparatus for imparting enhanced directional flight to a projectile and the like, and more particularly to an apparatus which is particularly well suited for use in improving the directional flight of a projectile which is fired out of a shotgun, the apparatus having a discontinuous sleeve which is conformably dimensioned for slidable mating receipt on the distal end of the shotgun barrel, the discontinuous sleeve slidably mounting a hand adjustable sight alignment frame or loop which is conformably dimensioned in the shape of the shot pattern produced by the shotgun.